Dear Black Men: A Letter for You

From the heart, Felicia Roche shares how she feels about black men.

 

 Dear Black men,

You are my brother, my father, my son, my nephew, my uncle, my husband and my friend. I understand your pain and I know you get weary from all the injustice, because I do, too.

We don’t always get along because of the frustration and confusion from oppression that has accumulated over the last few hundred years. It’s starting to take its toll on us and sometimes we take that out on each other.

Our communication has been interrupted by the sounds of gunshots, imprisonment, poverty, prayers and the preacher-man. We have so much to fight against and we don’t have much time for healing. We have to convince this world—and sometimes ourselves—that we deserve basic human (and civil) rights.

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I know we have to deal with the lynches, police brutality and under-educated children, but at some point we have to have this conversation because we need each other and I don’t want to lose you… we are supposed to be a family.

I am sorry that the world tries to make you believe you’re inferior, because you’re not. I am sorry they’ve convinced you you’re worthless and your life doesn’t matter, because you are worth more than the world … and you mean everything to me.

I know you have to fight to stay alive, but please talk to me because I am the one that NEEDS you to stay alive; I need you here because I want you to be my friend.

I want you to be my companion, my educator, my protector and my confidant. I admire your desires to be great and I love your power and intelligence. Your ability to sway with life’s rhythms and survive despite the apparent disregard for your existence means you are truly royalty and I know your thrones have been stolen from you.

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You have not let me down, quite the contrary; you’ve have made me proud. Your strength inspires and encourages me to keep being strong. It may seem like I’m not listening or that I don’t understand because I’m so hard on you at times, but I’m really just afraid. I want you to be safe and I become enraged when I think you’re in danger.

I get so frustrated and angry because I see your potential and I know the obstacles placed in your way are not only unfair, but often times impossible to beat. So as I search for the patience to deal with these systems of injustice, be patient with me. Be kind to me and open your heart to let me in. It takes strength to allow someone to see your pain… I will not judge your mistakes.

I will not think you are weak if I see you cry, but rather I will understand and comfort you. And once you have released the pain and anger through tears, I will build you up so you can go on being strong and face the world that seems to be so fearful and intimidated by you. I’m sorry that they hate you…

I know there are not many people you can trust—and with good reason—but I promise you can still trust me. I am your sister, your mother, your daughter, your niece, your aunt, your wife and your friend.

I love and adore you. I will always have your back. You can talk to me.

Always Yours,

A Black woman

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Youth Advocate Felicia Roche is a loyal Techbook Online reader, a mother and a hard-working Philadelphian.

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Photo:  MsNice/Flickr

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